Crawford County, Indiana - Chapter 7: Alton, 1926

On the banks of the beautiful Ohio, just a few rods below where Little Blue River runs into the Ohio, hes the little town of Alton. The plat of the town was made by James Gaither and recorded in the recorder's office at Fredonia July 5, 1838. For a long time this town was called Nebraska; the name of Alton has been used since 1850. The town never grew very large. Probably 150 people was the largest numb. which ever lived there at any one time.

In May, 1839, Asa Kemp was granted a license to keep a grocery and sell liquor in Alton. The fee paid then was $25. The next year Henry Fullenwider was granted a license to keep a store in Alton for one year. In May, 1840, William Roberts opened a store in Alton.

The first citizens to buy lots in Alton were J. H. Meylon, Joshua Bennett, R. T. Williams, Jacob Boone, James Riley, Levi Brooks, John Parr, William H. Conrad, James Clark, Nicholas Peckinpaugh and Ezra Carberry. When Boone township was organized in 1848, Green McRoberts was made inspector of the elections. The polling place was Nebraska. The state law of 1848 changed the name to Alton. By 1850 there were about 150 people living in

At the date of May 24, 1907, J. J. Ridge, J. W. Gaither and John Borer were still living. Mr. John Hollcraft, of Alton, sent the old poll-book to the editor of the English News in 1907.

session ordered an election held in the town of Alton on September 28, 1872, to determine the question of whether the incorporation of Alton should be made, at which election a majority of the votes cast was in favor of incorporating the town. The board of county commissioners, therefore, ordered that the following territory in Boone township be declared an incorporated town under the name of'the town of Alton. Beginning at station one on the Ohio River at low water mark where the section line divides sections 32 and 33, township 4, south, range one east strikes the river, thence up the Ohio river with its meandering to the mouth of Little Blue River, thence up Little Blue River to the mouth of Mill Creek; thence up Mill Creek to the nearest point to the northeast corner of the southwest one-fourth of the northwest fourth of section _ 338, township four south, range one east, thence on a direct line to said corner, thence west to the west line of that section, thence south to the southwest corner of a fortyacre tract, thence west and south and up the Ohio to the. starting point. The above tract of land included about 86 acres in all belonging to B. J. Parr.

The people of Alton have always been friendly toward education. At one time the town maintained one of the best high schools of the county. In 1902 Henry Mock was employed as principal. Later Curry V. Watson acted as principal. When the state increased the salaries it became impossible to keep up the high school.

in those days at Alton was $50. At the close of the year he was given another license for the next year. He was put under $500 bond which was signed by James Riley, Perry Riddle and John Atwood. The license was renewed again in 1863.

In 1865, when the board met' in June, A. R. Hazen was granted a license to sell liquor in Alton for one year. James Riley, who had been here some time, went to Leavenworth. John B. Moore took out license in his stead and sold liquors in the town of Alton on September 4, 1865.

September 4, 1874, John Atwood, who had been a saloon keeper for many years in Alton, made application for a license to sell liquor at Alton. A petition with twenty-two names was filed in his behalf, but James M. Williams filed a remonstrance against him which had more names on it. Atwood's petition did not contain the names of a majority of the citizens. He had also been guilty of violating the law. He had even been convicted in court June, 1874, for selling liquor to a drunk man.

Atwood filed a bond on which one finds the names of John Atwood, Frederick Zeyhler, William Culver, Henry Steinball, John Kemp, George Sheckell, George Pearson, Ab. Kemp, Thomas J. Railes, Henry Sigler, but the board rejected Williams' petition and granted Atwood a license.

The town of Alton never grew very fast. lLycurgus Harrison and Peckinpaugh built their sawmill here, thus forming Peckinpaugh, Harrison and Company. They

One of the oldest business men in Alton is John Holleraft. He is related to the Holleraft family, of whom Mr. Nathan Holleraft was one. At date of writing he is still in business on Front Street. His son, Temple H. Hollcraft, has a position to teach mathematics in a college in New York. The Hollerafts have won the respect and confidence of all the good men and women of the county.

J. N. Neville, who was a barber of the little town, may be able to trace his descendants back to the Nevilles who figured so gallantly with General Washington and with Green in the Jerseys and Carolinas during the Revolutionary War.

A. S. Roberts was a druggist of the town many years. The flouring mill was owned by Walker and Fancher who did a big business in the eighties and nineties. The undertaker was John §S. Williams, and J. W. Wood was the leading -carpenter.

The Alton school until a long time after the war was a frame building which would seat about sixty people. The old house is still standing near the river where it has been moved. The new house was a two-story frame structure which was built on a beautiful location back from the river on high ground.

The Indiana Gazateer for 1895 gives the following information: Population of the town was 300. James W. Harvey was postmaster. J. T. Boyd had a general store. H. T. Carr was proprietor of a saloon. David Deuschar was a jeweler. Maude Emmick was a milliner. David Franklin was a shoemaker. W. H. Fullenwider and Brothers ran a big sawmill. Martin T. Hanger was a carpenter. Mamie Hardin was a music teacher. Josiah Harvey was a shoemaker. Sydney Hatfield was a butcher. W. R. Holleroft and son ran a general store. D. F. Jenkins ran a livery stable and was wharf master. George M. King owned the general store west of the Methodist church. Oliver Morton Landrus was the blacksmith of the town. H.B. Meylin, who was one of the oldest citizens, was justice of the peace. Meylin and Fullenwider ran the hotel: Joseph Myers was the town physician. Peckinpaugh, Harrison and Company were wagon makers and sawmill men.

The Alton baseball team of 1897 was one of the best in southern Indiana. The battery was Burton Parr and Lige Parr. Charlie Wood was one of the outfielders. Mort Landrus, Bill Purcell and Jack Purcell are well remembered for their hard hitting.

The people of Alton and its vicinity became interested in a canning factory a few years ago, but the factory was not a success. The farmers who took stock lost heavily in the failure of the company.

To-day not much business is going on in Alton. The town has lost much of its population. Yet one can dream of the days of Jacob Boone and Henry Fullenwider and the departed glories.

Mr. Sanders, the drayman, by Joseph Birkla. Trouble had existed between them for some time. Sanders went into Birkla's store to collect the freight on July 19, 1921. He was not armed when he entered the store, known as the ''Red Onion Restaurant.'' Trouble arose and Birkla shot him in the arm, the second shot in the hip, and one in the back. Birkla's plea was self-defense. L. D. Sanders staggered out of the store. Neighbors who heard the shots ran to his assistance.

Doctor Deen of Leavenworth, Doctor Land of Marengo and Doctor Myers of Alton held a council. They agreed to send him to the Louisville hospital. The operation showed an abdominal injury was the most serious oné, from which he died on Sunday. The body was brought home for burial. Birkla left at once for English, and the sheriff being notified, met him on the way. The ease was tried at English in February, 1922, under Judge Cook. Brown and Lambdin defended Birkla, while Weathers assisted County Prosecutor Seacat. Weathers' plea was one of the strongest ever made in English, but the jury acquitted Birkla. He moved to Fredonia after a short time, where he engaged in mercantile business. After some time he became insane and was sent to the asylum.

Temple R. Holleroft, who was a little Alton school boy in 1901, composed the following poem on hearing of ex- President Harrison's death. The poem appeared in the English News on March 16, 1901. It read:

David C. Deuschar, who was one of the leading merchants of Alton, on October 11, 1907, picked up a bottle, which on examination, was found to contain a lady's picture. He opened a correspondence with the lady who happened to be a music teacher. Later they were married. This bottle had drifted into Mr. Deuschar's large store room during high water. While he was engaged in cleaning up the house and yard he discovered the bottle.

The Alton Lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows held a great celebration at Alton on August 4, 1900, in a beautiful beech grove north of town. The Marengo Band drove over to Alton and furnished the music for the occasion. Hon. John H. Weathers delivered the address of the day. The good women of the town turned out with baskets full of food and a most bountiful dinner was served to the immense throng of people.